Within the last few weeks, I've been reading lots of posts and articles about eBooks and public libraries. HarperCollins recently changed its policy on how it allowed libraries to use its eBooks and it's put everyone in a tizzy. Here's the article: Publisher Limits Shelf Life for Library E-Books.
I have had several patrons - and staff - ask me about how I will deal with eBooks and it's been hard to answer. Public libraries are dealing with a completely different audience than mine: the public. In theory, that can encompass every imaginable education, socio-economic, age and comfort-with-technology group out there. They do have to deal with it and they have to deal with it now.
I, on the other hand, have a known user group I physically see: museum curators and other staff; also a large group of volunteer docents who are mostly retirees. People, we only stopped using film slides and moved to digital images for presentations within the last five years! (About 5-10 years behind everyone else!) These people are not ready for eBooks. We have a show currently where two classic books were suggested reading for the docents. These books were readily available - for free - at a number of places, including Google Books. I provided links to these sources, walked through instructions, not a single person used it. Not one.
So... imagine my dismay when someone comes into the library and makes this remark: "Why do you have all of these books? Don't you know everything's gone digital?" Oh really?
[Now before you start judging me and calling me a Luddite, know that I'm not.]
However, I do have to deal with my own specific reality every day. I can tell you that replacing all of our books, catalogues and serials with electronic equivalents is years or even decades away - if ever. There are two very important reasons for this lag time: 1. the users of my library aren't electronic converts and 2. our research material contains mainly images (it's what separates the arts from the sciences, who have already made the jump to all digital). Images are of objects owned, administrated and copyrighted by organizations, individuals and trusts. So much of our material isn't even available in electronic format (due to date and cost) and whatever does make it into easily available electronic format will likely cost a lot more than the one copy of the printed version I need. Additionally, the electronic version of the serials we get costs up to five times the cost of the print versions. We're a non-profit!
Someone pointed this article out to me: Books are Doing Surprisingly Well.
I am also not advocating for a single medium: print or electronic. Why not have both? As people's comfort levels change and the prices (hopefully) go down, why not offer eBooks to those that wish to have them?
It is the job of the librarian to provide her/his users with information in a way that they can use it. I just happen to work in a type of special library where they're just not quite ready for the next step.
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2 comments:
Thank you for continuing to keep this blog rolling. I enjoy reading about the different issues you encounter as an art librarian.
I actually have a question for you on a different topic: As an art librarian, does it matter where you get your art history degree from? Obviously a degree from a top program is better than one from a notably horrible program, but if the degree is not from the ivies or from the bottom of the barrel, do employers or colleagues put a lot of stock in where the degree is from? I want to know what to expect when I'm applying for jobs in a few years, and I'm in a position to adjust my course if it will help my prospects. Thanks for any insight you can offer!
I'm glad you enjoy reading this. I wish I had more time to write it!
I appreciate your question and can only speak from my own experience.
I believe that experience is more important than pedigree. I have my art history degree from a university that many people in my current part of the country have never heard of. I think it's just becoming more important to HAVE an art history degree (preferably a masters, but not always the case) in addition to the MLIS degree to get an art librarian job.
And as for the MLIS degree (or its equivalent), many of the employers don't have a clue as to which library school is better, so getting a degree from an ALA-accredited university is the only thing that matters when choosing a university for the library part of this.
It is that library-related experience that really makes a difference on the resume. Obviously, if you're in school you're likely not going to be working full-time as a librarian, so you have to find other ways to build that experience: internships, directed fieldwork, etc. Aim as high as you can when applying for these types of things. Internships at well-known organizations or those where you do something really tangible (reference, cataloging, digital projects, etc.) are the kind of experiences that get people jobs. If I was hiring, that's what I'd be looking for.
(Sadly, I'm not hiring.)
Hope that helps.
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